Someone should consider offering a GM role to Bleacher Report. They’ve spent the entire summer working tirelessly behind the scenes—those aggregated free agent updates? That’s Bleacher Report. Those speculative ideas posing as news? Bleacher Report. Essentially, any idea you’ve had was probably first published by them. They’ve stepped up during the slow NFL summer and provided plenty of content.
Raiders fans owe a special thanks to Bleacher Report, as they continually generate intriguing free agent speculation about the team. In a recent free agent piece—definitely unique from the rest—they suggested the ideal addition to bolster the Raiders’ defensive line.
Despite impressive performances from Crosby and Koonce last season, with both being top performers, depth along the edge remains a concern for the Raiders. Crosby and Koonce were the only players to record more than five sacks last year. Re-signing Yannick Ngakoue could provide a dependable third edge rusher. Although Ngakoue had a challenging season due to an ankle injury, he had consistently notched at least eight sacks in each season before 2023 and had a notable 10 sacks with the Raiders in 2021. He’s motivated to bounce back.
While the article’s point about having two strong edge rushers from last year might not be the best lead when discussing depth concerns, it’s worth noting that Crosby is among the top 3-4 pass rushers, and Koonce ended as Pro Football Focus’ 22nd best edge rusher out of 112. Although Tyree Wilson’s rookie season was less impressive, he’s only 24 and still developing, as many pass rushers do.
In the end, adding Ngakoue could be a smart move. It wouldn’t require a significant investment from the Raiders, and as the article suggests, there’s still potential upside. While the fit might not be as clear-cut as Bleacher Report presents, imagining a dominant defensive line for the Raiders is certainly exciting.
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